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Tim Price, rural affairs specialist at NFU mutual, said: "Faced with repeated and determined attacks from a new breed of brazen thieves, farmers and country people are turning to history books to re-purpose security measures from medieval times.

"Adapting centuries-old security with high tech solutions is already proving successful in keeping at bay thieves who don't fear being caught on camera and have the skills to overcome electronic security systems."

Mr Price added that social media is quickly becoming the "eyes and ears" of the countryside, bringing residents together to report incidents.

A Home Office spokesman said: "The election of Police and Crime Commissioners has given communities, including those in rural areas, a strong voice in determining how police resources are allocated to tackle the crimes that matter most to them.

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"The Government has set out a comprehensive settlement to strengthen local, national and counter-terrorism policing.

"This means police funding will increase by over £460m this year, with around £280m from precept going directly to forces to spend on local priorities.

"We know the nature of crime is changing, which is why the Policing Minister has spoken to every police force in the country to understand the demands they are facing and why the Home Secretary in May committed to prioritising police funding in next year's Spending Review."